Friday, January 19, 2018

The battle that made a myth of the German Blitzkrieg during the early part of WW2...

Chars 1B Heavy Tank...best tank in the early part of the war...

via Wikipedia.

This small village, consisting of only a handful of farmsteads, was heavily contested during the invasion of France in the Second World War. The village changed hands 17 times over the course of three days of fighting between 15 May and 17 May 1940.Operations near the town involved 90,000 German troops and 300 German tanks, opposed by 42,500 French soldiers and 130 French tanks. The Germans lost 26,500 men (wounded and killed) and 24 tanks, while the French lost 7,500 men (wounded and killed) and 33 tanks.

On 13-14 May, 1940, German tanks crossed the Meuse river under the command of General Heinz Guderian. The town of Stonne and the woody hills of Mont-Dieu were the single area where it was possible to try to stop this German advance. On the night of 13 May, the French moved various elements to this area to attack the Germans;

Some battles deserve detailed examination and study. This is one of them. Can you imagine? 90K German soldiers vs 42.5 French? The Germans got the bloodiest nose of the encounter and the French not only fought bravely but were competent beyond belief?

Kinda makes a lie of the "French surrender" meme doesn't it?

I've come to a personal conclusion that the reason why the allied forces weren't more successful in the initial fighting against the Germans isn't because they had inferior weapons or military leadership.

I believe that like in most conflicts the politicians let them down.

Anyway back on task. Read that short Wiki article for yourself and tell me you're not intrigued!